


Out of the Rain

by WetSammyWinchester



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Confused Jared Padalecki, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff and Humor, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, M/M, Meet-Cute, Werecat Jensen Ackles, other than rich being an asshole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:48:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28411164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WetSammyWinchester/pseuds/WetSammyWinchester
Summary: The fur was still soft but this time it felt different, stiffer and thicker, and when he ran his hand down the cat’s back, he felt bare skin. It took him a minute to realize that it wasn’t his own. Jared widened his eyes and was greeted by the same bright green eyes from last night but this time in the face of a gorgeous man—an attractive andnakedman who was lying across his chest.“Holy shit.” Jared pushed his way out from under the sheet, grabbing his pillow to hold in front of himself.Written for noxetumbra's lovely prompt: Jared accidentally adopts creature!Jensen & suddenly there's a gorgeous naked guy in his bed
Relationships: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki
Comments: 10
Kudos: 344
Collections: 2020 Supernatural & CWRPF Holiday Exchange





	Out of the Rain

**Author's Note:**

  * For [noxetumbra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/noxetumbra/gifts).



> Thanks to noxetumbra for such a cute prompt and sorry I'm late in posting your gift! Hope you like it.
> 
> Thanks to nigeltde for being a great sounding board <3

Jared threw his keys in the bowl by the door and shook off his raincoat before hanging it on a hook in the entryway. 

The house was dark and quiet, and he sighed and stood for a minute making a puddle on the tile before he had the energy to take off his shoes and strip off his clothes, leaving a soggy pile by the front door. 

Every muscle in his body hurt. Rich had asked him to pull another double shift again at the coffee shop. Baristas kept quitting after a few days because Rich could be an asshole. Jared needed this job to pay for the trip back home for the holidays to see his family. He just wasn’t sure that he’d ever get used to Rich or the long hours.

He padded to the bathroom and toweled off. Yanking on a pair of sweats from the floor, he braved a look at himself in the mirror. His reflection showed bags under his eyes. A passing thought hit that he should eat or check emails but he couldn’t muster up the energy for either so he shuffled off to bed.

But the rainstorm got worse - thunder boomed and lightning flashed through his windows - so Jared pulled the pillow over his head, trying not to think about how he had to get up for work again in five hours. 

_Yeeeeeeeee-owwwwwwwwww._

The storm couldn’t drown out the cat’s yowl, and the poor thing was probably stuck in the rain or desperately in heat. Jared buried his head under his pillow but the sound was piercing and followed by an incessant scritching of claws that sounded like it was at his front door: 

_Yeeeeeeeee-owwwwwwwwww. Scratch, scratch, scratch. Yeeeeeeee-owwwwwwwwww. Scratch, scratch, scratch._

After about thirty seconds of being annoyed, the animal lover in Jared finally got the better of him. The cat could be injured or trying to get away from a predator and helping it was more important than sleep. He slipped his feet into a ratty pair of slippers and padded out to the front door and looked out the peephole. No roving packs of feral dogs or coyotes in the street, only the pouring rain and a small shadow on his mat. 

He unlocked the front door and pulled it open slowly. A damp and decidedly grumpy cat looked up at him with big green eyes.

“Hey, buddy.” Jared looked up and down the sidewalk, but there were no worried owners in sight so he crouched down to check the cat out. Volunteering at the animal shelter taught him how to make his large size less intimidating to small animals. 

But, as he got a better look, he realized two things: the cat was big and muscular and, unlike most house pets, it didn’t seem to be afraid of Jared.

For its part, the cat stared at him calmly, its tawny fur plastered to its body except for ear tufts that stuck up despite the rain. It curled its long tail as elegantly as it could over its feet - a wet but regal mess waiting for an invitation.

“Want to come in?” Jared asked and smiled as the cat brushed up against his jeans as it walked through the door. “Well, make yourself at home.”

The cat purred in response and then proceeded to shake off its wet fur all over Jared’s bare feet and legs.

“Let’s towel you off first.”

Jared grabbed the towels he had used earlier on his own hair while the cat sauntered off into the kitchen, sniffing at each cabinet and the trash can, its walk not quite smooth as it favored one of its back legs.

Jared plopped himself on the kitchen floor and manhandled the big animal between his legs, getting an unhappy mrrrp as he toweled off its fur. “Buddy, I don’t want to do this either but I don’t want you to catch pneumonia.” 

As he dried, the thick fur fluffed and the unhappy noise became a happy purr. Jared ran his fingers through it, noting the lack of collar or tag, and it purred loudly in response. No mats in its fur - it was well taken care of by someone - but there was a long scratch on its right back leg. “What kind of cat are you?” Jared asked rhetorically as he carefully washed and dried the wound. “Maybe a Maine Coon? Don’t see many of those here in Texas.”

He tended to the injury and then played with its fluffy ear tufts, trying to remember what breeds had those, while the cat playfully swiped back at him before it rested one of its furry front paws on Jared’s cheek gently. He smiled back and scooped the cat into his arms.

“I’ll call the shelter in the morning and see if they have any reports. Someone must be looking for a handsome cat like you.” It chirped in response and then yawned.

As he walked into his bedroom, Jared glanced at the clock - 3:07 am. He might be able to get almost two hours of sleep, and wondered what to do with the cat when he left for work and that he could call the shelter during his first break. Another boom of thunder sounded nearby and the cat clutched onto his shoulder with its claws. “This storm got you spooked, huh?”

He put the cat on the floor of his bedroom and threw himself down on the mattress. Two seconds later, the bed dipped as the cat jumped up. It walked around a bit before settling on top of Jared’s chest. The warm, heavy weight was comforting and he ran his fingers through the soft fur between the cat’s ears. The cat purred, content and relaxed, and rubbed its face against Jared’s cheeks and jaw. It would be nice to have something to snuggle with every night and keep him warm. He’d always been a dog person back in San Antonio but this was good, too. Maybe if no one was looking for the cat, he’d keep it. 

That was his last thought before passing out into a deep sleep.

~~~

The doorbell rang and Jared fluttered his eyes open and then blinked against the grey light coming through his window. The warm weight from last night was still settled against his chest and he absently gave the cat another rub on its head.

The fur was still soft but this time it felt different, stiffer and thicker, and when he ran his hand down the cat’s back, he felt bare skin. It took him a minute to realize that it wasn’t his own. Jared widened his eyes and was greeted by the same bright green eyes from last night but this time in the face of a gorgeous man—an attractive and _naked_ man who was lying across his chest.

“Holy shit.” Jared pushed his way out from under the sheet, grabbing his pillow to hold in front of himself. The naked man on his bed - whose skin was golden and pale in the dim morning light - jumped back and pulled the blanket and sheets off with him and wrapped them around his waist. “Hol-ey shit,” Jared repeated.

 _Ding dong_. The doorbell went off again as they stood staring at each other, followed by a loud banging on the door. “Jared, I need a ride,” said a muffled voice. “Jared!”

“I— huh— shit,” Jared said and shook his head to clear it as the knocking got more pronounced and his friend Chad continued to yell.

“I know you’re in there, jerk, so c’mon,” said the pissed-off voice outside the door.

The naked man stared at Jared and seemed just as unsure, so Jared did the only thing he could think of in the confusion - he ran out front and answered the door.

Chad burst in as soon as the door was cracked open. “My bike has a flat, again, and I need a ride to work. Rosie’s gonna fire me if I’m late again. You gotta help me.”

Jared hesitated. “Now is not a good time—”

A loud thump came out of Jared’s bedroom and Chad’s eyes opened wide as he looked toward the back hallway. He laughed and slapped Jared on the shoulder. “You are an animal, dude. When did this happen? Did you go out after work last night—”

Jared shoved him back through the door. “You need to get out. Now.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure. I’m mean it’s been a while for you—”

“Shut up, Chad. Get an Uber or something. Just leave.”

Jared shut the door and leaned back against it as if Chad would push his way through one more time. He took a deep breath before heading back to confront the stranger in his house.

“Who are you—” Jared tried to sound threatening as he walked into his bedroom but came up short, staring at the cat that sat in the middle of his mattress. “What the.”

The guy from before was nowhere in sight. Jared got down on his hands and knees and looked under the bedframe then threw open the closet door, kicking at a pile of dirty clothes at the bottom of it. He checked the bedroom window but it was latched shut from the inside. His gaze came back around to the cat, who seemed to be watching him before it let out a meow and waved its paw in the air.

“No, no way. I _saw_ him.” Jared shook his head and then ran out to check the bathroom and the kitchen. No one else was in the house. When he came back to his bed, the cat looked up innocently from grooming its fur. Jared looked back and forth between the bed and the front door. “I don’t understand.”

The cat meowed and jumped down from the bed, rubbing up against Jared’s leg as it walked out to the kitchen, where it began to meow louder.

Must have been a dream. Had to be. A really vivid dream. It wasn’t the first time he dreamed of guys sharing his bed but he could still feel the hair and skin under his fingertips, see the eyes and lips in his mind. Lack of sleep, that’s what it was. What it had to be.

“Coffee, that’s what I need,” Jared said. “You hungry, buddy?” 

Jared pulled out a can of tuna and the cat circled his legs as he dumped it on a plate and set it on the floor. The cat nosed at it delicately and began to pull the pieces of fish apart with its tongue and teeth. Jared scratched at his stomach as he watched the cat and a sense of profound fatigue dropped over him. Last night’s storm had settled into a grey drizzle outside. Maybe this morning was some kind of crazy fever dream and it meant he was catching the flu. He should call in sick and have someone else cover his shift for once. Rich might throw a fit but at this point, Jared didn’t care.

“What do you think, tuna breath? Should we go back to bed?” he said to the cat as it finished its breakfast. It looked up and meowed in agreement.

He scooped the giant furball up and it snuggled into his neck, purring loudly, as they walked back to the bedroom.

~~~

Somewhere in the living room, Jared’s cell phone was ringing over and over. For the second time, he struggled to open his eyes because _why couldn’t people just let him sleep_? And for the second time that morning, he woke up to a gorgeous man curled up in his bed.

“Whoa, whoa,” Jared’s heart thumped hard in his chest, and he skidded across the bed sheet, falling ass first onto the floor. He might dream about this guy once, but twice? No, this was actually happening.

“You need to explain—” he shouted.

“—Listen, I can explain.” Their words overlapped and the naked guy laughed, a low throaty sound that would have been really attractive to Jared if it didn’t come from some maked stranger in his bedroom.

“I would remember going to bed with a guy that looks like…” Jared’s voice jumped up half a register as he gestured up and down at the guy’s muscular body which was now wrapped in a sheet. “Last night, it was raining and I woke up to a cat crying outside and opened my door... Oh my god, I forgot to lock my front door. That’s it, isn’t it? You snuck in.”

The naked guy rolled his eyes. “I did not sneak into your house and I’m not a pervert.” 

“You’re a pervert snuggler!” Jared yelled, scooting back and banging into his closet door. 

“That’s not really a thing,” the other guy said with an amused smile. “Let’s start over. I’m Jensen. And if you close your eyes for a second, I’ll show you who I really am. Trust me - it’s okay.”

Jensen’s voice was soothing and commanding, and Jared closed his eyes, not because he trusted the guy but because he hoped this would all go away. When he opened them, the bedroom was empty. The top sheet he was wrapped in lay in a pile on the floor and, as Jared watched, the bedding began to move. The cat’s head popped out from underneath and jumped on the mattress. It gave a now familiar meow and waved its paw at Jared.

“No, no way,” Jared said. “This must be a hallucination or something.”

Out front, the cell phone finally stopped ringing but now someone was knocking at the door. His concern about his mental state gave way to irritation. Chad was at work so who else would be banging on his door? He threw a t-shirt on as he looked suspiciously at the cat. The cat watched him back.

“Okay, okay. I’m coming!”

Of all the people he thought might be at his front door, his manager Rich was last on the list. His short, manic manager bounced on his toes.

“Hey, big guy. I was worried about you. Mind if I come in?”

Jared was speechless as Rich stepped in through the open door, checking out the small living room before sitting on the couch, uninvited. 

“You feeling better?” Rich looked him over from head to toe. “Cuz right now, you don’t look so good.”

Jared glanced between his manager and the bedroom door when the cat—er, Jensen?—walked out. “Yeah, still feeling under the weather. It’s only been a few hours since I called you.” Jared awkwardly sat down at the opposite end of the couch from Rich. “So, why are you here, at my home?”

Jensen jumped up on the couch and curled onto Jared’s lap, his eyes tracking Rich’s every move.

“Huh, never took you for a cat person. Aren’t you a cute kitty?” Rich reached out to pet Jensen and the cat hissed and swiped his claws at him. “Whoa, be nice.”

Jared stroked the cat’s back to calm Jensen down but could still feel his tensed shoulder muscles under the fur. “I found him last night in the rain and took him in.”

“Of course, you did,” Rich said. He moved down the couch a few inches towards Jared, and Jensen gave a low warning growl. “You’re a good guy, Jared. Someone who never says no and I like that. When you didn’t show up this morning, I realized how much I missed seeing your face and thought I’d drop by.” Jared’s brows pulled together in confusion as Rich gave him an eyebrow wiggle. “You’re my best employee. And my best-looking one, too. C’mon, admit it. We’ve worked together for months and I know you feel the same way about me. That’s why I give you so many hours, so we can be together.”

“Wait,” Jared interrupted. “You work me to death because you _like_ me? That’s messed up, even for you.”

“You’re always smiling and joking, and you do everything I tell you,” Rich said. “We make a good pair.” 

“I was being polite!” Jared shouted. The fur on Jensen’s neck stood up and his growl became more high-pitched like a tornado siren going off. Rich reached out to touch Jared’s knee, and Jensen let out another hiss, this time scraping the back of Rich’s hand with his claws and drawing blood.

“Stupid cat,” Rich yelled and jumped off the couch.

“No, I’m the stupid one,” Jared said to himself and then started fake-coughing. “Listen, Rich, I’m still sick and my cat obviously doesn’t like you. Plus, you’re my boss so this isn’t a good idea. Maybe it’s best if you leave.”

“Fine. Maybe it’s best if you don’t come back to work at all.” Rich marched out the door, leaving it wide open for a cold gust to blow in. Jared sighed as he shut and locked it. 

Today was full of weird surprises. Speaking of surprises, he should really thank Jensen for getting rid—

He turned around but the cat was gone from the living room.

~~~

He found human Jensen sliding on a pair of Jared’s sweat pants in his bedroom and felt an unexpected pang of disappointment as Jensen pulled one of Jared’s Texas Longhorn t-shirts over his head. The clothes hung loose on Jensen but Jared thought he looked good with bare feet and messy hair.

“Thought it might be easier for us to talk if I was dressed,” Jensen said and Jared nodded, numb to the whiplash of what was happening in his life the past few hours.

“Good idea,” Jared said and waved his hand towards the front door, “and thank you for all of that. I had no idea he was a creep.”

Jensen nodded. “You shouldn’t have to work with people like that.” He smiled and looked at the messy bed. “Besides, it’s in my nature to protect my people. Same with bed snuggling. Sorry about that - it’s just something I do when I’m happy.”

“Don’t apologize,” Jared said. “It was kind of nice.” An awkward silence followed as Jared struggled with what question to ask next. “What do you mean, your people? Like other cat people?”

Jensen’s lips pursed. “I don’t really know any other people like me. I remember getting bit by a cat years ago and nothing’s been the same since. I’ve been wandering alone for a long time. When I saw you come home last night, I just hoped you’d take me in.”

“That sounds lonely,” Jared said.

“Doesn’t excuse me for scaring you like that,” Jensen continued, “Or going all protective with that guy. You didn’t sign up for this,” Jensen continued. “Maybe it’s best if I leave.” He started to walk away, limping and favoring his right leg, when Jared grabbed his arm.

“You’re really hurt, aren’t you?” Jared pulled up the leg of Jensen’s sweatpants to see the same wound he saw last night on the cat. “Let me take care of that for you.”

He guided Jensen back to the edge of the bed and grabbed some antibacterial gel and a bandage from the bathroom. As he kneeled to treat the cut, Jared asked his next question. “Can you control it? Changing from cat and human and back? Or does it just happen?”

Jensen shrugged. “I can control it somewhat. I can’t do it if someone is looking right at me though.”

“Performance anxiety. I get that,” Jared said with a smile as he balanced Jensen’s foot on his thigh and applied the bandage to his calf.

Jensen laughed, another low throaty rumble. “Normally, I don’t have a problem in that area.”

“I bet.” Jared held onto the curve of Jensen’s calf longer than necessary and their eyes met. “So, you’re all alone? No pack?”

“That’s wolves, not cats. And the answer is yes.” Jensen looked away and tugged his sweatpant leg down. “Thanks. Guess I should go. You’ve had enough trouble for one day.”

Jared stood up. Outside, it was still raining, and he would do anything to make Jensen laugh again. “Do you eat anything other than tuna? I know a great pizza place that delivers.”

Jensen’s face brightened. “I would _love_ some pizza.”

~~~

The afternoon turned into evening, and they spent the day with a couple of pepperoni pizzas, a six-pack of beer, and an X-Men movie marathon. The space between them on the couch shrunk as they finished up the last of beer as The Last Stand came on.

“So, are you more of a Kitty Pryde or a Sabretooth kind of cat?” Jared asked, nudging Jensen with his elbow.

“Neither. I’m a Beast,” Jensen smirked.

“Good to know.” Jared took another sip from his bottle and realized that he didn’t want the afternoon to end. Jensen’s confidence and laughter filled Jared’s little house in a way that had been missing in the last year and that feeling filled up Jared. He hadn’t thought once about losing his job or being on his own. He glanced over to catch Jensen staring back at him. 

“Do I have something on my face?” Jared asked, wiping quickly at the corners of his mouth with a napkin.

Jensen smiled. He leaned over and then held Jared’s face between his warm palms. Jared’s heart beat thumped against his ribs and he held his breath as Jensen got closer. The kiss was soft and Jensen’s lips made Jared’s brain black out for a moment, letting loose of all his questions and worries except for one. Could this be real? When he opened his eyes again, Jensen was still holding onto Jared, studying his face intensely.

“You’re not going to lick me, are you?” Jared joked. Jensen’s smile faltered and it felt like the floor fell out under Jared.

“I’m sorry. I should have asked you,” Jensen said. “Makes me no better than your manager.”

“Trust me, you and Rich are different animals,” Jared said.

Jensen shook his head at the bad joke but his bright smile returned. He went to pull away but Jared grabbed the back of Jensen’s neck. “No, I want this.” He tugged Jensen back in for a second kiss. Jared gave it his all, letting go of any anxiety he had felt before and leaned into the moment so that Jensen could have no doubt how he felt. Jensen relaxed and shifted back in to push Jared back on the couch, rubbing his nose along Jared’s cheekbones and jaw.

“But I have one question,” Jared said.

“What’s that?” Jensen replied.

“Is it true what they say about cats?” Jared said. “You know, about their penises—”

“Wait, you want to have sex with me as a cat?” Jensen pulled back with a thoughtful look. “Who’s the pervert now?”

Jared blushed furiously, nowhere to go with Jensen’s full weight holding him down on the couch cushions. “No, no! I just—” Jensen’s laugh interrupted his sputtered-out explanation. “I deserved that.”

“Trust me, Jared, I’ll make you happy.”

~~~

The next morning Jared blinked open his eyes to bright sunlight streaming through his bedroom window. The storm had broken and for a split second, he thought it was all a dream - Jensen, Rich, even Chad making appearances in a long, strange hallucination caused by long hours and stress. Then Jensen shifted closer to him, curled against his side on the mattress with an arm protectively slung over his chest and his hair sticking up in tufts from under the sheet, and Jared smiled.

Oh yeah, he could get used to this.


End file.
